Cutting-torch.



W. BUCKN-AM.

- GUTT ING TORCH. APPLICATION FILED vJULY 14, 191.1.

Patented May 19, 1914.

stains rettili @ltlllmlw WORTHY C, BUCKNAM, GF JERSEYl CITY, "NEW JERSEY, ASSXGNO, T .BOURNGNVBLLE CETYLENE DEVELEJMENT CMPlNY, 0F Pljllltlifll, SDUTH DAKOTA, il CGRPORATXON 0F SOUTH DAKOTA.

CUTTING-TORCH.

Speeeaton of Letters Patent.

ltlaitented llltoiy lll,

To all' ttl/ tom it may concern Be it Vknown that l, llloiz'rin' C. BUGKNAM, a citizen' of the United States, and a resident ot lllarioii, lersey (ity, in the, .count-y oi' .Hudson and State ol New Jersey, have inrented certain `new and useful improvements in Cuttingflorehes, of which the tollowing is a speeilieation.

, 'lhis invention relates to metal cutting apparatus, in which the cutting1 is' effected chemically by a jet oit oxidizing' gas, aided by a stream or streams of a combustible mixture, foi" raising' the metal locally to a temperature aty which it will be oxidized rapidly by the oxidizing stream. rl`l1e oxidizing' pas is oxygen, and the eoinliustible inixtureis preferably composed of oxygen and acetylene.

'ln accordance With this invention I provides torch which delivers heating` and cutting; jets all in aliueinent, twoheatinp,I iets, consisting' of a main,'larger jet and an aux iliary, smaller heating;- jet, beine; delivered at opposite sides of the oxidizing' jet and at dii' ferent planes. ,lily placingthe heating` jet oriliees in di'tlerent planes, the forward or main heating' -iet is delivered at a higher level or farther boel; toward the sources of suppl;7 than the following" or auxiliary heating jet. ln use the jets are caused lo travel 'in line along the line of the cut, the larger and more remote heating jet being: in front,

l the enttingrjetI following, and the smaller jet of ,combustible mixture last and burning in` side the cut.

VlnV the preferred embodiment of the inventionthe apparatus has a removable and replaceable tip, wherein are formed means u.for delivering; the jet oit cutting,I oxygen and means i'or forming the combustible mixture and delivering it 1n larger ond smaller jiets at opposite sides oi the cutting jet, all of the jet orifices being` in alinementtand the heat-V ing' to established practice, and the follow-- ing or auxiliary heating.;1 jet orifice be in the same plone as the clrttinp,W ]et orilliite. lli? 'means oi such' apparatus, metals oit' Very considerable thickness can be cut, ondy there is litt'e `likelihood oi the oxidizing; action beine; in orrupted. Furthermore,- tlie eolie suinptiov lozingen ster cuttinpgginay be ooi f parativel);T small. rl`his is because the smell auxiliary heating `)et following' along in the cut reduces or compensates for losses of heat at the seat of operations. llt the same time, since all el.z the jets are in alinem-ent, and since the auxiliary jet is delivered at a lower level than the main heating jet, so that its llame burns within the cut, there is no melting` of the metal along the edges of the cnt or away from the, cut..

The invention also comprises Various :teatures ol construction as will hereinafter beeo-ine apparent.

ln the accompanying drawings jillustrating; the apparatus in the torni oi a hand torch Figure l is a View partly in section and partly in side elevation of such a torch; Fig: 2 is a longitudinal section through the head and removable tip, illustrainingf how the operation of cutting a pieee ot metal is conducted; Fig. 3 is a front end View of the ti pgand Fig. l is a,v detail secw tional view showing` a form oi Valve that maf.' be employed to control the supply oli.

cutting' oxygen. 1 ln the best embodiment of the apparatus the means for delivering' the three jets are embodied .in the single tip ll, and the gases for the seiersl jets are all supplied to the tip from the common head 12, which holds the ren'iovaliile and replaceable tip. HOW- e\er, it will be understood that far as the broader aspects of the invention are con cerned the passages tor leading thev gases and discharging the. iets .may be ntl'orded in am7 other manner, so longl as the character istie relation between the jets is preserved.

ln the specilie and novel form of apps ratos illustratedj the tip is provided with a central bore or. passage 'lll for cutting; oilye'en, the passage termmating1 in en orifice at the outer end ot the tip, and with two ot longitudinal bores ligt and i-or the mixture at opiiiosite sides et the o-iygre sage and terminatingi at the outer end el tip in oriliees :it opposite sides oft the cut-t jet orifice. Thus, eli oi" the orifices a in alineinent The oriliees and n o and oit nnei'lual lll iter dtdii'erin.pGW l ing jet beine; tleliiferi: t;

hor

f lll@ present invention, are the orifices 14 and 15. As shown', the oriices 13 and 15 may be in the saine plane. This may be accomplished by provid-.ingv the end of the tip with a projection 1G through which the passages 13 and 15 are extended; or, conversely, the end ot' the tip may be cut back at the region of the passage 14.

lhe tip 11 is shown as formed of one piece, and such is the preferred construction, but this may be otherwise. The'rear end of the tip and the socket 17 in the head 12 are suitably formed to afford a tight sealing joint. F or this purpose, I prefer to make use of a conical joint, the angle of which is suiiiciently abrupt to insure that the tip cannot stick in the head irrespective of the degree of pressure Withivhich they are forced together, as by means of the coupling 30. The tip is shown as provided with an external conical surface 1S of ample length, and the socket vin the head is formed with a corresponding internal surface against Which the conical part'of the tip seats so as to produce an absolutely tight joint. This particular form of sealing joint.

is coveredby Patent No.-.1,028,166I of June 4,- 1912, to J. W. Whitford.

The head 12 isprovided With the conduit or supply space 19, which communicates With the rear end ofthe passage 13 for cut- .ting' oxygen, in the tip. The head is also provided With conduits or supply spaces 20 and 2 1, for oxygen and acetylene, toform the combustible mixture for the heating jets. These are common sources of supply for the two heating jets; but in the preferred conrstruction each heating jet has its own complement of passagesv for bringing about mixn ing of the two vkinds of gases. To this end the tip 11 is provided with separate oxygen and acetylene inlets to each of the passages 14 and V15. In the particular construction illustrated, ports or short passages 14a and 15a, in alinement with the passages 14 and 15 and of reduced diameter, serve as inlets for admitting oxygen from the conduit 20 to the rear ends of the passages 14 and 15.

- Lateral ports or passages 14b and 15b in leo the tip serve to admit acetylene from the conduit 21 to the passages 14 and 15. Thus,

yeachof the passages 14 and 15- constitutes a mixing passage, Where the tWo gases, bnought together for the first time in the rear part of the passage, mingle and travel untilv theyiare discharged 'as ignited jets upon the Work. llhese' inlets lead from the sealing portion of the' tip, which coperates with the scaling portion of the head to prevent leakage of the gases, so that they cannot improperlymingle With each other or escape through the joint into the air.

Means are provided for placing both passages 14 and 15 in communication Withthe.

conduits 20 and 21, and for preserving, the

communication even though the tip be turned or rotated in the head. To this end I provide annular communication-establishing channels or spaces; and preferably these channels are formed on the -outside of the conical` portion of the tip, as shown at 22.

and 23. The ports or inlet passages 14a and 15a lead from the channel 22, and the ports or inlet passages 14b and 15b lead from the channel 23.

The head 12 may be of any suitable construction, and may take on a variety of forms according to the style of apparatus in ivhich the invention is embodied. For purposes of illustration l have shown the head as forming part oi a hand torch. ,The three pipes 24, 25 and 26, for cutting oxygen, oxygen for the heating jets, and acetylene, respectively, together with the chamber 37, designed to contain packing through which the acetylene is passed, form a convenient handle. Conduits 25 and 26 are provided With suitable valves 27 and 28, and the pipe 24 is preferably provided With-a spring-closed val-ve 29. The pipes are provided at their rear ends with suitable couplings for the at oxidizing jet is attacking, and B the portion ofthe cut already formed. As shown vin this view, the main heating jet is set back so that it plays upon the surface of the uncut metalV which the cutting jet will presently operate upon. The small auxiliary heating jet is delivered at a lower plane so that it enters immediately into the cut. ln

this position it. can `best serve its functionX of aiding the oxidizing jet, and at the same time it is prevented fronrmelting the edges or corners of the cut. lts small size, also, insures thatit will not injure the cut. find that with this Adivision of the heating gases into two jets of unequal sizes at opposite sides of the cutting "jet, the consumption of these gases is economical, and the eliciency of the cutting operation is high. By this I mean that the cutting will proceed Without interruption,- heavy pieces may be cut cleanly and Without vmuch loss 'of metal, and the consumption of oxygen for cutting is very economical. and apparatus cutting may be performed faster than heretofore. Another very important advantage is that the slag is kept 'fluid so that it is carried out freely by the oxygen jet. For this reason exceptionally clean cuts may be effected, and the speed is improved because there is no tendency for By my process inet/,tas

tion, l have' shown the apparatus in the` form oit a' lhand torch, it `will be understood that the` head may be supported and moved by mechanical means, Without in any Way adecting vthe invention. l o

Having thus described my invention, what ll claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. Apparatus for cutting metals by means of gases, having means for, delivering an oxi izing jet, and two heating' jets 'of un equal sizes and both composed of a mixture .of combustible and eombustion-suppoiltinggases, With'the vheating jet oricesin dif` ferent planes 4and `at opposite .sides of the oxidizing jet orice, the;l smaller heating jetj scribed. a o

2. A torch for cutting metals by means of gases, having rneansfor. delivering an oxi` dizingjet, separate heating jet passages at opposite sides of the oxidizing jet, each jet passage being provided with separate inlets `for combustible and combustion-supporting gases, and common means in the torch for supplying su'chy gases to the inlets of both passages.

3. Apparatus for cutting metals by means of gases, comprising a head, and a removable and replaceable tip having a longitudinal passage for oxygen for cutting, and separate longitudinal passages for heating mixbeing closer to the Work, substantially as deture, each of these latter passages having separate inlets in the rear part ofthe tip for oxygen and for alcombustiblc gas, said head being provided with conduits for supplying the cutting passage and said inlets.

`vided With a longitudinal liveringa jet'of oxygen, said passage leading from the rear end of the tip, two longi- 4. A removable and. replaceable tip for apparatus for cutting metals by meansof gases, formed at its rearend for sealing engagement with a suitable head, and having a longitudinal passage fop-cutting oxygen and separate longitudinal passages for heating mixtureeacliy of these latter passages having separate inlets in the sealing portion of the tip for admitting oxygen and a combustible gas from the head.v

5. Apparatus for cutting metals by means of gases, comprising a head having separate conduits for oxygen and for a combustible gas, and a removable and replaceable tip having a longitudinal passage for oxygen for cutting, longitudinal passages at opposite sides-thereof for heating mixture, annular channels? at ,the-,niger arranged to communicate at'all tiniesjwith conduits in the head for oxygen and combustible gas, and communications between these channels and the passages for heating mixture. A

y (LA removable and replaceable tip for apparatus 'for`eutting metals by means of gases, having anlember of a sealing joint formedon its'rear portion,4 and being proassage for detudinal passages at opposite sides thereof of different 'diameter for delivering heating jets of different sizes, the latter passages terminating in orifices in different planes, and the orice of larger diameter being farther back toward the source of supply than the orice for cutting oxygen, the tip being provided .in its sealing portion with inlets for admitting oxygen and combustible gas to said passages of unequal diameter.

In Witness whereof I have signed my name in the presence of tivo subscribing Witnesses.

WORTHY C. BUCKNAM.

Witnesses: J. E. BRANDENBURG,

B. W. CouLnooK.l 

